Beyoncé's Levi's jeans ad pulled into Sydney Sweeney backlash

USA Today

3 days ago

A Beyoncé ad for Levi's jeans is being compared to Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle campaign, but other social media users argue the two are far from similar.
"Euphoria" star Sweeney is facing backlash as the face of American Eagle's newest campaign. The denim ad and its tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' drew sharp criticism online with some users accusing the brand of promoting eugenics.
In a campaign video, Sweeney lies in a full denim ensemble as she leans into wordplay: "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue." The camera then shows Sweeney's blue eyes before a message reads, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans."
The criticism wasn't about the denim itself, but the language used. Social media users argued the phrase 'great genes' paired with a blond-haired, blue-eyed star echoed eugenic ideas — the discredited belief in improving humanity through selective breeding. Some also argued it contributed to the glorification of whiteness.
Eventually, Beyoncé's recent Levi's campaign, where she poses in a similar position in a denim-on-demin outfit with blond hair, was dragged into the discourse.
One user wrote, "So Beyoncé can pose in Levi jeans and it's art… But when a white woman does it, it's a national crisis?" as she shared a photo of the two ads side-by-side. However, many were quick to point out the differences between the two.
Another said, "Just going to leave this pic form Beyoncé Levi's campaign right here for those saying Sydney Sweeney with her blond hair/denim/sultry look is racist..." A user responded, "No one said that, what was said though was that the ad's inference that blonde hair and blue eyes are superior."
The Grammy-winning singer announced her collaboration with Levi's last fall. She has since released multiple campaigns with the denim powerhouse. But she has never alluded to genes or genetics, focusing solely on the quality and design of the jeans themselves.
One social media user, @dukepege, takes this notion a step deeper: "At what point will it be fully understood that proclaiming or implying 'my genes (jeans) are better' is frightening to any race who's ancestors for long generations have had to suffer at the hands of the very same race of people with the same kind of thinking — that their genes are superior?"
He added, "No, such statements are not benign; they are echoes of a violent and dehumanizing history and the fact that you involve Beyoncé explains very well how you're still unable to comprehend what's being felt."
The conversation comes after Beyoncé was baselessly pulled into another controversy when President Donald Trump accused her of being paid $11 million to endorse Kamala Harris' presidential bid — a payment the the Federal Election Commission has no record of.
The Grammy-winning singer concluded her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour in Las Vegas on July 26. The 32-stop stadium tour became the highest grossing country tour, earning over $400 million.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.